Maryse's tender age growing up in Saigon was one full of privileges. Member of the "Jeunesse Doree" elite group, she was living on top of the world, enjoying life to the fullest, going to the exclusive French Marie Curie high school with Denise and regularly parading the high fashion avenues after school for ice cream on Catinat street at Givral's. The two girls were inseparable and Denise often stayed overnight on weekends in Maryse's bed room. As it was the norm at that period of time, young girls were watched with eagle eyes by their strict parents. Of course, they all have more than once sneaked out at nights to go to innocent dancing parties thrown by friends. Full skirts would not fit while being worn so they did remove them and pass them through the windows to put them back outside to avoid detection during their occasional escapades. Maryse had at her disposal a convertible Studebaker which she drove around town without a valid license at first. As it was her habit until the later years of her life, Maryse loved new
clothing, many of which never worn. She often bought fabric and took them to a tailor near her Marie Curie high school to fashion new clothes and almost immediately passed them on to Denise. In her later years after having settled down, Maryse hardly ever talked about her bubbling youth. I always thought that that classy Studebaker I see in photos belonged to some of her family's rich American friends. It was indeed a huge sacrifice that she let go of her other well heeled pursuers in Paris that included a Laos prince, to adapt to the lifestyle of
starving students that she happily shared with me. But we both gained big in beautiful memories that continue to this day to torment me with no end in sight. Denise remains close to my heart and I often think about her living with her husband Rene in their beautiful home in Balaruc, near Sete, France.
